The Patriarch
by Feistyy
Summary: Gajeel: Not the kind of guy you'd like to bring home to papa.
1. Prologue

All our Fairy Tails are belong to Hiro Mashima.

* * *

**The Patriarch: Prologue**

The large, dark-featured mage sauntered down the streets of Magnolia. It felt good to be back. But not as good as it would feel in a few minutes, when he walked through the doors of Fairy Tail. His guild. It was a place he could be. There were people he could be with. Friendship was still strange to him, especially at a place as rambunctious as Fairy Tail. He swung his arms, crossing the right across his chest, pulling the left over his head, rolling his shoulders, working out the kinks from work. Nothing big, just a bunch of punk robbers who needed a talking to. His iron fist was more eloquent than his mouth and had handled the job with ease. Now he could get back to the Shrimp for some real relaxation: sitting in silence while she read. _Nothing like it_.

"Lily," he grunted.

"Hm," from the black Exceed marching to his right.

"Think I'll get a hug this time?"

"Hm." It sounded affirmative.

It didn't happen every time, but sometimes when he got back from a job, especially if he'd been gone a while, a certain blue-haired script-mage would show him that his absence had been noted with an embrace that he supposed she thought was tight and that he knew was just a bit lingering.

"Gihee."

He swung open the doors of the guild, restraining himself from swinging open his own arms to receive her. And there she was. Hugging someone else.

Someone was stealing his hug.

"Who the fuck are you and why are you grabbing at my Shrimp?"

Levy heard the gruff growl and felt the man being forcibly removed from her arms. She heard a pin drop and felt everybody's eyes on her.

"Umm... Ga-gajeel?"

Gajeel heard nothing but blood rushing through his ears and felt nothing but sudden and irrational rage.

"I think I asked you a question. Two of them." The other man was quailing under the blood-red glare that struck terror into the hearts of entire guilds. The man clearly wasn't a threat. Weasel-thin, bespectacled, and greying. But he also wasn't answering and Gajeel was not a patient man.

"Gajeel! Down boy! That is my father! He just arrived for a visit and I just finished saying how happy Fairy Tail would be to offer their hospitality."

_Father? Father. Ah, that's right. Not everyone in Fairy Tail was an orphan. It did seem like they had more than its fair share of those..._

Emboldened by what he could only see as his daughter's bravery in the face of an obviously violent man, Mr. McGarden cleared his throat. "Y-yes. I am Jacob McGarden... nicetomeetyou... and... and if I want to hug my own daughter after not having seen her in over seven years then... then who are you to... to... Why, I should be the one asking who you are!"

Gajeel gulped. Father. He had not anticipated this. To be confronted with a father... It was not an area in which he was experienced. He had no battle-plan. He was floundering. He fled. Turned on heel and marched out of the guild, straight-backed, but not at all at a leisurely pace.

_If that man knew the things I've done to his daughter..._

_ If he knew the things I've _thought_ about doing to his daughter..._

Gajeel honestly didn't know which would be worse.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima still owns Fairy Tail, and he's doing a much better job at it than I could!

Yes, this chapter starts off much more angsty than funny (I hope) but the funny comes. I swear.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

This dream was familiar; An old friend, waiting for him at the end of a long day. It was Levy, always Levy. Levy's screams, Levy's moans. Levy writhing. He knew these things. He had caused these things. But even that very night, his brain had taken those things, those evidences of horror, and transposed them. He truly was a sadist. He had never heard her screams of sweet release, her moans of pleasure, his fantasies relied on those of pain and desperate fear. There was a disjunct. But in the night, his libido didn't care to notice. The guilt came in the morning.

Usually. Tonight it arrived ahead of schedule.

Levy. Levy beneath him, face contorted in pain that passed for pleasure. Levy above him, body thrashing in anguish that passed for ecstasy.

"Down boy! Down boy! Down boy!" He remembered it stern, it played back sensual.

"Who are you to..." Echoing, no longer wheedling. Demanding an answer. Who are you to have done what you did, to feel what you feel, to think those filthy thoughts, to protect someone you once injured, to enjoy her friendship? "Who are you to have the privilege of even gazing upon my daughter?" says the face of the father, now under Gajeel, now over Gajeel. And Gajeel is the one screaming and moaning and writhing.

This time, the dream ended abruptly, departed from Gajeel's mind, didn't leave a trace. Only a vague presentiment that he had something to prove to Jacob McGarden. And an even vaguer notion that he had been somehow violated sexually.

* * *

Levy was trying desperately to explain Gajeel's behaviour to her father in a way that did not make him seem like a raging psychopath. This was especially difficult because, well, in some ways he kind of was. She and her father were seated together at a cozy outdoor cafe. It was a beautiful day, really. Perfect for explaining to her father that the scary man who assaulted him is her best friend and that she's not-so-secretly in love with him and that, oh yeah, there was a teensy incident a while when he forcibly nailed her to a tree. But he was purely using her as a means to instigate war between their two guilds, nothing sexual at all. Jet and Droy were there too.

Levy calmly took a long sip of her steaming tea, thinking of the best way to phrase all that was Gajeel. In the most parentally-friendly manner possible. _Best to start simple. _Short sentences, possibly a little sugar-coated, like easy to swallow pain-relievers_._

"His name's Gajeel. Gajeel Redfox. He's very strong. He's my friend. He uses his strength to protect me."

_Good._ One of the lines on her father's forehead visibly began to relax.

"But Levy... pumpkin... are you sure... and I'm not doubting your judgement here; you're a strong, independent young woman... but are you sure he's really protecting you? He just doesn't seem all that... friendly."

"It's the red eyes, isn't it? I know, everyone equates red eyes with bad people but it's just not true! He's really a good guy... now. Yes, he's made mistakes, and because of those mistakes I got hurt. But that's why he protects me!"

_Bad._ The line was back full-force.

"He..."

"Daddy, everyone makes mistakes, but look. Gajeel is like... like those candies with the hard crunchy outside and the soft gooey centre. It's taken a lot of licking and sucking, but I think I've almost gotten to the soft, gooey centre."

'The soft, gooey... licking?' This was something that Mr. McGarden did not want to think about. He employed Paternal Avoidance Manoeuvre 5.3. "But all those piercings! He just doesn't look like a good influence. What about your old teammates, Jet and Droy? They were nice, non-threatening young men. Don't they do a good job of protecting you?"

"Daddy, they're seven years older than me now and I'll have you know that many people think Gajeel's piercings are very... sophisticated... and... attractive... and..." _I wonder if he has them anywhere else..._

Before Levy could come up with another father-friendly adjective for Gajeel's iron-infused body, she felt the wind being knocked out of her and a slight sense of vertigo as the world turned upside down. Focussing her eyes, she got a very nice view of Gajeel's backside. She didn't know where they were going or what had happened to her father. She had no choice. Planting a hand on each of the firm cheeks rippling just below her, she raised her torso and head. If she gave a little extra squeeze, it was only because he balance felt a little shaky. Honest it did. From her position behind Gajeel's back, she could see that they were walking away from her father, who was sputtering helplessly at the table. They turned a corner and he was gone.

Several stunned minutes later, Levy found herself plopped unceremoniously on a park-bench. And then the question came.

"Oi Shrimp. How do I make your father like me?"


	3. Chapter 2

Fairy Tail is Hiro Mashima's. I have these characters on loan. But shh because I haven't told him.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

'How... how to get my dad to like him?'

"Well, you could start by not kidnapping me. I'm sure that would be a plus." Her first piece of advice was acerbic, but to the point. Gajeel chuckled.

"Why do you want him to like you anyway? He's only here for a week. I don't think he'll be planning any buddy-buddy fishing trips any time soon." _Gajeel in a little wooden boat with her dad... Gajeel on his way to the bottom of the lake while her father clung helplessly to the bow as it slowly rose out of the water._

"Don't worry about it, Shrimp. Spill."

"Well... He does seem a bit suspicious of your intentions. Maybe you could just... tell him what you like about me, why you're my friend."

Gajeel grunted. He'd clearly been hoping for something a little less gushy.

"Ok, we'll start with why other people like you then. I can introduce him to a few people and when he sees how well-liked you are at the guild..." Levy sighed. "He also mentioned something about your piercings. Do those even... can you...?"

"What, take them out? They're iron. I can do anything I want to them. Not sure that'll really help though."

"Why not?" _Gajeel closed his eyes and drew the rows of thick metal studs across his forehead and down his nose back into his skull. And his face collapsed. _"Nevermind! Of course, you mean that physical appearances don't matter, right? They're just piercings, it's not like they'd change the entire structure of your face anyway? Right? ...Right?"

"Uh..."

"Right! And uh... I think he thinks you think... less than the average person... which is fine! We just have to show him that you aren't just some big brute. We need to show him your softer side so he knows you know how to treat a... your female friends." She took a deep breath.

Gajeel turned away and stared stonily at the sky. Levy thought she could see a bit of a blush. 'Huh. Guess it's a good thing I didn't say "a lady," he's shy enough about having friends who are girls.' "So, here's the plan..."

She scooted along the bench excitedly, drawing nearer to him. She whispered her plan for the evening into his ear, kneeling on the bench and resting her hands on his nearest thigh. They were closer to his knee than his... you know... she reasoned, and he didn't even look down so he probably didn't even notice. Nothing untoward here. Just two co-conspirators. She liked it. Speaking rationally, she didn't really have to be _whispering_ her plans; her father was well out of ear-shot, and even then, with Gajeel's dragon-slayer hearing, whispering into his ear was more than a little unnecessary. But again, she liked it. And it was very important to set the tone for such an important mission. Plans concluded, she settled back onto the bench beside him and into a comfortable silence as he processed it, nodding along as he failed to come up with any flaws from a strategic point of view.

"But first I gotta un-kidnap you, right?"

"Right. And maybe..." _Say it Levy. The important thing right now is making sure dad doesn't file a restraining order against Gajeel for the entire family._ "Maybe I should walk back on my own steam... as in not flung over your shoulder."

"Me Tarzan, you independent woman," he grunted, which both summed up her father's thoughts on the pair and let her know that Gajeel understood where she was going with this. Actually, on a deeper level than she'd expected. "Alright then, short-stuff. Let's get going."

There was a definite problem with walking beside Gajeel. She didn't know whether to touch him or not. When he carried her, they were touching, right? So why not when they were walking? Was there really a difference? Should she just... apparently Gajeel hadn't stolen her quite as far away as she'd thought. They were already back at the cafe.

Her father was still at the table with her no-longer-steaming cup of tea. Visibly shaken, he seemed to be chanting a mantra. Ah, yes. "Strong, independent woman. Strong, independent woman." Nevertheless, his eyes were darting around and Levy was sure that the second any variety of peace enforcer entered the area, he'd be up and screaming. Thankfully, they'd gotten back before that happened.

Gajeel cleared his throat and gave her a little shove forward on the small of her back. "Here's your brat back. I'm done with her for now."

_Well, at least he'd... tried?_


	4. Chapter 3

Fairy Tail is Hiro Mashima's. The lyrics to Gajeel's song are a modified version of 'Ole No Iron Blues.'

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"I'll go order us some drinks, then."

The guild hall was packed. Gajeel hadn't seen it so full since before the Tenrou incident. And somehow, everyone seemed to be watching him. As if sharing a table with someone you'd recently assaulted was out of the ordinary around here. But he had to admit, it was awkward. Especially now that Levy had gone up to the bar. She wasn't hurrying back either, but laughing with Mira about something the barmaid had whispered, just below Gajeel's sensitive hearing.

Levy had seemed to scrap her idea for Gajeel to tell her father everything great about her‒ the man had to know all that anyway‒ but Gajeel figured that maybe some thanks were in order, just the same. So when Levy got up to grab some food, he grunted and nodded at the man. Far from understanding the deep intellectual and emotional nuances of this interaction, Mr McGarden's eyes widened and he looked like he was contemplating his imminent demise. _Guess we have to do this the hard way. As long as Levy's not around_, he quickly glanced around the guild hall, _and no eaves-droppers... fine._

"Thanks," he grunted.

If it were possible for Mr McGarden to look even more startled and terrified, he'd managed it.

"For your daughter, I mean." _Did that come out right?_ The other man was sputtering. _Possessive maybe. Yeah, too possessive. No choice but to go all in._ "She's gotta be the smartest person I know... only time she's stupid is because she's so kind too. Hell, I wouldn't have forgiven me for what I done, at least not until I'd beaten me dead with my own two hands, but she..." _She's told her father about that, right? He was her father, how could she not?_ Looking at Mr McGarden's face, a mixture of terror, confusion, and, there it was, protectiveness, it was obvious that she had not. Right_. He was her father. How could she? _Gajeel had to find a quick way out of this without shooting all his chances in the back of the head. _Another great thing about Levy, first thing that comes to mind, just think of something quick._

"And that ass!"

_Shit. Wrong thing_. To make matters worse, he noticed that in his panic he'd emphasised his point by bringing his hands up in front of him as if grabbing onto said ass. And there was Levy, traipsing back, looking absolutely thrilled that he was talking to her father so enthusiastically.

For the second time in two days, Gajeel bailed.

At least, that was the plan.

He managed to vault over the table and Mr McGarden before Levy could even open her mouth. He was sprinting for the doors when suddenly Mira was blocking his path, smiling sweetly. He briefly considered bowling her over ‒ Collateral damage. This was a war. ‒ But then he noticed what she had cradled in her arms. His guitar. He put the brakes on real fast.

"Heading out already, Gajeel?" Her already beaming smile stretched even further. _That's almost grotesque._

"Uh... yeah." Gajeel wondered if there was any way to get around her without drawing any more attention than he already had. Levy was already on her way over with a sour look on her face. Jet and Droy had quickly taken her place at the table and who knew what nonsense they were feeding her father.

"Oh, well that's too bad," Mirajane sighed, "Levy mentioned wanting some special entertainment tonight, since her dad's here. I'd love to oblige but I just have this terrible frog in my throat, so I'd thought maybe you could, but if you're going home now, don't worry about it!"

The way the light reflecting off the shining body of his instrument was tempting. So tempting. And what better way to impress Levy's father than by showing off his mad talent? At least Mr McGarden wouldn't be able to hear any gossip from the numbskulls if he turned it up loud enough. And louder always meant better.

"Yeah, I was just going home to... get my guitar. Guess I left it here. Thanks, Mira."

* * *

"This is a new song I wrote, called _My Little Blue Blues_."

The audience was silent and somehow seemed to have dwindled in the few seconds it took for Gajeel to mount the stage. Jet and Droy looked terrified. _Of course, they're about to see their chances with Shorty go up in smoke. Not that they had any to begin with._ Levy had her face in her hands. _Clearly blocking her other senses so she can really concentrate on the music._

He struck the first chord.

"The sun bleeds into my skin  
When you're beside me and my iron  
Starts to heat like I'm a skillet on the fire.  
Hot metal tastes so good.  
When your body and heart burst  
The good flavor is just too raw.  
These blue, blue blues.  
I might just be junk but  
I'll gnaw, for I'm Gajeel.  
Yes blue, blue blues.  
Listen to my song,  
But it's not like I want you to listen to it.  
Yes blue, blue blues.  
Think I've bitten off more that I can chew."

The audience was clamouring.

"Hey, I actually get this one! I think... "

"You think? That's a surprise."

A flame burst.

A table flew.

And chaos erupted.

When her skirt caught fire, Mirajane let out an impressive shriek.

_Frog in her throat, my ass._


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail and make no profit from these scribbles.

To everyone who's favourited, followed, or reviewed so far: Thank you so much! It really is encouraging to know someone out there is reading and enjoying the story.

This is more of a reflective chapter- plot has always been my weak-point- but I've got something in the works.

I know my chapters are much shorter than most, but I'll make an effort to keep them over 1,000 words. I'll also try to get a weekly update out every Wednesday! Now back to business.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Gajeel was entirely out of his element. And he was ashamed to admit it, but he was starting to develop a nasty habit of running away. Gajeel did not flee. Gajeel smashed. But he had a feeling that smashing Levy's father would not make the man like him. Sure, it had somehow worked on the girl himself, but Gajeel was almost certain that he must have caused some sort of brain damage and he'd had to take a couple of beatings himself to make that happen.

_...Maybe that's it._

Inspiration hit Gajeel like a purse full of books.

After all, fighting had been one of the best bonding experiences for Gajeel and his own father.

He was really getting excited when he realized: Levy's father was weak. He would not fight back, nevermind trust his own strength enough to even attempt to land a hit on Gajeel. Where was the fun or fairness in that. Wherever Levy had gotten her significant abilities, it had not been from him. And Gajeel knew that he could not apply the same logic as he had used with Levy. You did not bully the weak, or at least not someone without a decent means of protection. When someone weak is beaten to a pulp, it inspires pity. It inspires disgust. It does not inspire masculine camaraderie. It does not inspire the righteous indignation needed to spark a war.

Gajeel had always known that. That's why he'd been sent to incite Fairy Tail's anger against Phantom Lord. His muscle was overkill, but nobody knew how to piss people off quite as well as Gajeel. He'd chosen her for a reason. He'd known that, had he been in their place, Levy was the last person he would want to see hurt. Because she was sunshine. Because she was laughter. Because she had always held her own in battle. Before Gajeel.

Levy had been the perfect target and all he had to do was whatever he would hate to see done to her.

Levy had not been weak.

If you'd told him that night that she'd be chosen to compete for S-Class in the near future, he would not have scoffed. He would not have agreed with the decision whole-heartedly - not yet- but he would not have scoffed. He knew that if he'd gone into that fight expecting a one-shot win, he would've had his ass handed to him. As it was, he'd had to quickly adjust his technique to compensate when he realized that the majority of the challenge was coming from her alone. He'd heard of Team Shadow Gear and, not being an in-the-loop Fairy Tail mage, had not expected that the men were mostly for decoration. A well-oiled three-person team on their home turf was as close as he could've gotten to a fair fight without taking out one of the key players before the main event. And that attempt would have been risky and, had he succeeded, left Fairy Tail daunted instead of incensed.

No, if he'd just wanted to wail on someone, he'd had plenty of even puny opponents to choose from. But he did not fight someone who would not or could not fight back.

He was further out of his element than he'd thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by a single word.

"Cake?"

Erza was standing beside him, kind of but not really holding out an immaculate piece of strawberry cake. The look in her eyes clearly said, "If you take me up on this, I will end you. This is nothing more than a gesture. You looked troubled." Well, he'd heard that Titania had eloquent eyes but this was something else. He grunted and turned away, and Erza skipped to a secluded corner of the hall, where she could enjoy her treat without the threat of an unsolicited addition of whipped Natsu on top.

But the gesture reminded Gajeel of something very important. He had been accepted here, even after being firmly cast in the role of Villain. To Levy's father, he figured he was maybe portraying Threat. He could work with that. And if he was out of his element, it just meant that he needed some intel.

* * *

"I need more information, Shrimp. Who is this guy. What makes him tick. How come I've never seen him before. I know the kind of father who disappears for years and that guy doesn't fit the mold."

Levy blinked. _Gajeel's really taking this seriously._ "Well, you already know he's my father. He's an accountant. In Lilac. That's where I'm from. He let me join Fairy Tail pretty young because I insisted and with mom gone I don't think he was really sure what to do with a little girl anyway, especially a mage since he isn't one, but usually I could always pick up a job every few weeks in that area and I drop by to see him then, but then there was the seven years on Tenrou and when we got back there was just so much to take care of and we weren't getting requests like we used to when we were on top so nothing came up and then there was the Grand Magic Games and you know how things are so I haven't really had a chance to go see him so he decided he'd come see me!" All that in one breath. _Did I make any sentences? Did that make sense? _Gajeel looked like he'd caught most of it, at least.

"Okay. So what does he like? From what I could tell last night, his taste in music is seriously lacking. Not that anyone here really appreciates talent." _Is he... sulking? _"You said something about fishing right? He goes fishing with people he likes? And what happened to getting everyone else to tell him how great I am?"

"That was more of a joke. He's not really much of an outdoorsman and, well..."

She had tried to get people to say nice things about Gajeel. She really had. Apparently mages were not the most eloquent of people. When asking around for a few words about Gajeel, she'd gotten six shrugs, fourteen "He's _nakama_"s, eight "He's very strong"s, four "He really _is_ a nice guy underneath it all"s, two "Levy's alright with him so I guess he's okay"s, one "He's a Man!" and one "He calls me _his cat_ and I still allow him to live," none of which had particularly impressed her father.

"I guess it's back to the drawing board then," Gajeel huffed, glaring at the corner where Mr McGarden was playing a card game with Laki.

"Hmm. And maybe try to keep your features in check." Levi had noticed her father's hands shaking as they held his cards. _Still, a pretty good poker face considering he's in danger of being turned into an iron statue by dent of Gajeel's sheer determination._


End file.
